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Photo A. They are made from KEYS of a computer keyboard. 

And this is called the WOLFGANG KEYBOARD BENCH. The Wolfgang keyboard bench is made up of 2,000 keys imbedded into a layered Baltic birch wood. Each key is pressable and actually makes a clicking sound when pressed. The tactile effect of the bench also makes a playful interaction with the bench because you engage with the piece of furniture in a very up close and intimate manner while pressing in the keys. 

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The artist Jay-Hyo Lee creates beautiful and pleasing benches from old nails that are hammered into the surface of natural wood. These nails are then bent to create patterns that evoke the ripples of water or currents of air. Once the hammering and designing job is complete, the artist grinds the nails, exposing raw silver metal to make sure that not even one nail is in a wrong position. 

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More creative, amazing, & incredible benches here. 

The main purpose of a bench is seating. But, modern people do something more on the bench. Waiting for somebody would be the one of new functions. I design a bench that frees itself from tradition. It is a new approach of thinking what a bench is. While playing the traditional role, this bench becomes a WIFI hot-spot and night-lighting with the thin-film solar battery. Moreover, it is made out of aluminum and recycled plastic regard of eco-issue. (link)

Located at a hospital in Bristol, this bench is a folded postcard inspired on an actual letter sent by a patient. The idea is to reassure new patients about the experience they will have during their stay. (link)

I remember the first time I set my foot here in Taiwan. That was Fall season. October 2003. I was so afraid that time, siyempre first timer eh. Afraid, baka kasi kumakain sila ng tanga. Well, yes, aside from the language, I dont know much of their culture. I red a little about it on books in high school but that was their history, during the dynasty times. So for sure there a little bit different now. When our brokers, make sundo us in the airport,  walang any conversation na naganap, except for asking our names & from what company are we into, other than that are through gestures, body, and sign language. They brought us in a bus along with some Thai's and Indonesians national. As the bus hit the highway, me & my batchmates are clueless to where we are heading to, until I realized, that we our going to a hospital for medical check-up, that's the time when I remembered, a JS Contractor personnel said, that after we arrived in Taiwan we will gonna have a medical check-up, a general procedure for incoming foreign workers. And besides medyo may banta pa ng SARS that time. While we are in a bus bound to a hospital somewhere I saw these girls/ ladies in their skimpy outfits in broad daylight.

At first I thought, they were hookers so I said "Anu yan?", "Bakit ganyan?", "Legal pala ang mga ganyan dito sa liwanag". And as our bus hits the highway and small streets, I still saw a lot them. Until, one of our kasama said, who is already been here in Taiwan for the second time, "mga NGANGA girls yan, taga tinda ng nganga, ganda noh!". So then, they are the so-called BETELNUT girls pala or in chinese, the "bin lang xiao jie". While seeing them in their outfits, i felt sad & amazed too. and there's a lot of questions burst into my mind. "Why they should need to dressed in kinky outfits just to sell that betelnut, shit?", "Hindi ba sila naeexploit o nababastos sa mga suot nila?", or "gusto kaya nila ang gingawa nila?" As our bus came to an end to our destination, the hospital I mean, I still thinking of them, (not to fantasize them, well, yes, a bit) and still have some questions to dug in some answers.

After my first 3 years of contract ends, I've got answers to my questions. With some research on the net and interviewing some local (Taiwanese), I've got all the answers I needed. Based on what they said, they use skimpy clothes because most or 90% of the customers are males. Sexy clothes are for attracting customers but other girls put flavors on it by selling other stuffs and sidelines. They, the betelnut girls, dont want to be betelnut girl but they are force to do that because of high cost of living here. They also said, in selling betelnut, money is easy and there in no much work load to be taking care of, but the bad part is the impression of the people, some people think that they are 'easy' to get in. Some perverts want to touch their body too. Though they wore that kind of clothes, it doesnt mean that they can be harassed. 

Now, most of the betelnut stands/store have a camera for security purposes.

Photo credit here.

Wow! antagal na pala nating magkasama. Hindi mo ko iniwan sa gitna ng problema. At halos lahat yun, lahat nalampasan natin, kahit na sa kabila ng sakit, pait at saya nanatili pa rin ang bond natin. Hindi ko maikakaila na minsan naiinis ako sa iyo, kasi may mood swings, minsan ayaw mong magrespond sa mga tanong ko at kwento ko. Naalala ko tuloy nung ipakilala ka ng kaibigan ko, hindi ko masakyan ang mga gusto mo. May gusto ako ikuwento sa iyo kaso ayaw mo akong pakinggan, o siguro ako lang yun, feeling ko lang that time na ayaw mo sa akin, pero ang totoo gusto mo rin ako. Kaya naman ang ginawa ko hindi kita pinansin at bumalik ako sa dati, sa dati na nakasama ko sa loob ng 2 taon, kahit na iniwan ko siya ng basta basta, bukas palad pa rin niya akong tinanggap. Pero sa aking pagbabalik sa kanya, nawala yung dating gana, may hinahanap ako na parang sa iyo ko lang nakita. Dahil dun muli akong nagpaalam sa kanya and this time with sweet goodbyes na, at kahit na mahirap sa kanya nagkaroon naman ng magandang closure ang paghihiwalay namin at naunawaan niya ang mga reasons ko kung bakit kailangan kong lumayo. Ang maganda pa nito naging FRIENDs pa rin kami in spite and despite of what happened. So, moving on, tinry kong bumalik sa iyo kahit na sumpungin ka most of the time. Siguro nga yun ang gustong kong mangyari ang magka-challenge or ma-challenge ako sa buhay. 

Nung unang buwan medyo mahirap para sa akin kasi imbes na sa kapwa Pilipino mo ako ipakilala, sa mga kaibigan mong Latino ako inintroduce na lalong nagpahirap sa akin, kasi unang una, yung lenggwahe, although, medyo related ang ibang words sa wika natin, nahirapan pa rin ako ng todo. Good thing naman is mababait sila, at take note, naging close ko pa ang isang Columbian friend mo. So, kahit na nahirapan ako sa unang pagsubok mo, nakita kong napangiti ka at unti-unti ng nagiging close tayo. And then yun na, pinakilala mo na ako sa mga FIlipino friends mo, at maging ang mga old friends ko nakilala mo na rin at nagustuhan ka rin nila. Dahil din sa iyo nakilala ako ng mga taong nasa likod ng mga kwento na aking sinusundan  sa ibang network. At dahil dun naibalik ko ang hilig ko sa pagsusulat. At dun ko rin napatunayan na hindi ka selosa kasi kahit na meron akong nakaka-close na iba, andyan ka pa rin at naghihintay. Pasensiya ka na kung wala kong nasabi sa iyo nung 2nd year natin, medyo naging busy ako sa mga games na ipinakilala mo sa akin. Pasensiya ka na rin kung bumalik ang pagkahilig ko sa mga online at network games, dahil dun hindi kita masyadong napapansin. Siguro na-excite lang ako at namiss ko yung mga bagay na ginagawa ko nung college, yung makausap at makalaro ng poker ang mga kaibigan ko. Pero magkagayun pa man di mo pa rin ako iniwan, bagkus andyan ka pa rin naghihintay at nag-aabang. 

Ngayon ika-3 taon na ng ating pagsasama. Masasabi ko na, salamat sa iyo, sa lahat lahat. Ikaw ang almost  una nakakaalam ng mga sama ko ng loob at problema sa pamilya, sa kaibigan at sa mga bagong kakilala. Ikaw rin ang halos unang nakakaalam ng mga saya, ligaya, paglalakbay at mga bagay na nais kong ibahagi sa iba. Dahil diyan taos puso akong nagpapasalamat sa iyo at hindi mo ako iniwan sa loob ng 3 taon. Maraming salamat at inalis mo ang homesick na aking naramdaman dito sa ibang bansa. Muli, maraming maraming salamat sa 3 taon nating pagasasama  .......................................